The Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History   The Metropolitan Museum of Art
World MapsTimelines / RegionsThematic EssaysWorks of ArtIndex  

Chosôn Punch'ông Ware: Between Celadon and Porcelain

Thematic Essay Categories

Sort Thematic Essays by:

OR
  • Bowl [Korea]
  • Flask-Shaped Bottle [Korea]
  • Large Jar [Korea]
  • Bowl [Korea]
    • Roll over thumbnail(s) for preview(s) of related Museum Work(s) of art, organized in chronological order.

    Bold. Earthy. Dynamic. Modern. These are some of the words we often associate with punch'ông ware, the striking ceramic type produced during the first 200 years of the Chosôn dynasty (1392–1910). Curiously, this arresting ware lacked a designated name at the time, at least judging from its absence in contemporaneous documents. The term punjang hoech'ông sagi was coined in the 1930s by South Korea's first art historian, Ko Yu-sôp; it translates as "gray-green ceramics decorated with powder." What we know today as punch'ông ware is a loose group of ceramics with a relatively coarse gray body embellished in various fashion with white slip, and covered in green-tinted semi-translucent glaze.


    Both the raw materials and the decorative vocabulary of punch'ông ware owe much to the famed celadon tradition of the preceding Koryô dynasty (918–1392). The clay and glaze of punch'ông are essentially similar to those of celadon but less processed and refined. Punch'ông's main decorative mode—the use of white slip under the glaze—adapts the inlay technique polished and popularized by the Koryô potters. Indeed, it is important to recognize that punch'ông ware evolved from a long-established tradition as a result of changes in patronage, manufacturing pattern, and aesthetic taste. Yet there is no mistaking the distinctive style of punch'ông ware. If Koryô celadon embodies classical elegance, punch'ông ware represents experimental spirit.

    Contrary to the popular impression of punch'ông ware as ceramics for the commoner, large numbers of punch'ông pieces, particularly during the fifteenth century, were manufactured for central and provincial governments. Many, predominantly dishes and bowls, bear the stamped names of the government bureaus to which they were destined. Two of the most frequently found names are changhûng-go, the bureau in charge of mats and paper and supplied goods used at various government offices, and naesôm-si, the bureau in charge of overseeing tributary products from the provinces to the royal palace, liquor for officials of second rank or higher, and food and textiles for Japanese and Manchurian visitors.

    Punch'ông ware exhibits distinctive regional characteristics. Representative of punch'ông ware made in Kyôngsang Province are those with inlaid and stamped decoration, with regular, well-defined patterns. In contrast, punch'ông from Chôlla Province typically has incised or sgraffito designs, which tend to be more freely executed and inventive. The kiln sites of Mount Kyeryong in Ch'ungch'ông Province is famous for its punch'ông with iron-painted decoration. The tonal contrast of bold iron-brown against the white slip background is stunning. The incised (Chôlla) or iron-painted (Ch'ungch'ông) "drawings" are often whimsical and evocative; and whether representational or abstract, they are always visually compelling.

    Unlike punch'ông, the production of porcelain during the Chosôn dynasty was centralized. A group of kilns known as punwôn, catering to and managed by the royal court, was operating not far from the capital of Hanyang (present-day Seoul) at least by the 1460s. Punwôn continued as the manufacturing center of porcelain until the second half of the nineteenth century, but already by the sixteenth century, the demand for porcelain expanded beyond the Chosôn elite and the capital. Porcelain kilns in the regions multiplied, and even punch'ông kilns eventually turned to making porcelain. Typical sixteenth-century punch'ông ware, such as those brushed with white slip or completely dipped in white slip, undoubtedly represent less expensive alternatives to white porcelain. Yet their slightly irregular surface design endows them with a vibrant beauty.

    Gradually replaced by porcelain by the end of the sixteenth century, the punch'ông tradition was brought to an end with the Japanese invasions of Korea between 1592 and 1598. When the devastated ceramic industries of Chosôn were rebuilt in the seventeenth century, only porcelain production was resumed. Revivals of punch'ông ware sprouted in Japan, by both descendants of settled Korean potters and Japanese natives. Today, contemporary potters in Japan and Korea alike are turning to the old punch'ông tradition and rediscovering its modern aesthetic.

    Soyoung Lee
    Department of Asian Art, The Metropolitan Museum of Art
    ↑ Back to Top
    MoveSeparatorPrint
    Close
    Bottle in the shape of a Rice Bale, Chosôn dynasty (1392–1910), 15th–16th century
    Korea
    Stoneware with iron-brown decoration of bird, fish, and lotus under punch'ông glaze; h. 6 1/8 in. (15.5 cm)
    The Museum of Oriental Ceramics, Osaka


    The popularity of rice bale-shaped bottles in the Chosôn period is attested by the large number of surviving examples in both punch'ông stoneware and white porcelain. The bottle was formed on the wheel and fired in a vertical position, resting on what is now one end of the vessel. The finished bottle rests on its side, probably originally supported by a circular stand made of wood or straw.

    The body of the bottle was coated with a white slip, which was applied with a brush, and then painted in iron oxide before being glazed and fired. On one side of the bottle a kingfisher swoops down to catch a fish swimming in a pond from which two lotus flowers grow; on the opposite side, a lone heron stands in a pond, flanked by lotus flowers, with another bird flying in the distance.

    Punch'ông ware painted with iron-brown decoration was produced primarily at the kilns of Mt. Kyeryong, Hakpong-ri. This piece is especially outstanding for its lively and appealing design.



    Ritual Vessel, Chosôn dynasty (1392–1910), 16th century
    Korea
    Stoneware with white-slip coating under punch'ông glaze; h. 5 3/8 in. (13.5 cm)
    The Museum of Oriental Ceramics, Osaka


    The Chosôn government's promotion of Neo-Confucianism as the official state ideology in place of Buddhism (which had flourished during the preceding Koryô dynasty under the patronage of the court and aristocracy) led to an increased demand for ritual vessels. These objects, used to hold offerings of food and wine to spirits and ancestors, were indispensable implements in Confucian ceremonies.

    This distinctively shaped rectangular dish, datable to the sixteenth century, is patterned after the ancient Chinese bronze ritual food container known as a fu. The vessel's lid, now lost, would have formed an almost exact match with the body. Although made in imitation of a Chinese bronze ritual vessel, this piece is thoroughly in line with the character of punch'ông wares. The shape is irregular, and the slip was applied without concern for perfection, with the impression of finger marks still visible on the surface. Yet its robustness effectively conveys a sense of dignity and spirituality.




    MoveSeparatorPrint
    Close